Thursday, October 26, 2006

We can only wish that last Saturday's game was a trick or treat nightmare, but I happened to see it in person and can attest to the emotional 'haunted house' roller coaster ride the fans experienced during the game. And boy is that stadium loud now that they have 6,000 extra seats and a beefed up sound system!! It was a little like some horror-show deja vu scene from all those years the Sooners managed to steal victory from the Huskers in the final minutes, although this one was truly our own fault. However, instead of looking only at the gloomy side of the game, there are a lot of reasons to be optimistic about our epic battle with the Horns. The Black Shirt defense truly rose to the occasion and kept the Texas offense out of the end zone on many occasions, and we proved to a national TV audience that we can hang with the big guys. AND, barring any upsets for either team in the remaining conference play, we will get a chance for revenge on December 2nd when we hopefully play the Horns again for all the marbles in the Conference Championship game. Speaking of Halloween, you may have seen the student section "Blackshirts Black-Out" in the stadium. A great tribute to the Husker defense, and a lot of funny Halloween costumes to go with the theme.

Some of you may remember that a few years ago I passed along a string of emails from an Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Public Affairs Officer who was in Iraq but is based out of Omaha. Well, Thomas O'Hara III is back in Iraq for another tour of duty and he started sending email updates from Baghdad once again. You will find his first installment at the end of this email. I wiil try to include more of them in future Husker ENews emails, but if you are interested in hearing what's going on over there without media filters (or waiting for me to send them), I suggest you get on Tom's email list by sending him an email. I've also added him to our email list so he gets a steady stream of Husker news too.

And when I asked Tom if there was anything we could send to Iraq for the holidays, here is his reply:"Have pretty much all I need personally – there’s a limited PX, and I’m trying to ‘stay light’ so there is not as much to pack back home. My friends in Omaha are sending me a Husker flag to put up over my desk.One thing the Bay area folks can do is collect/send clothing (kids/ baby/adult), shoes, mittens, etc for us to send out to some of the impoverished areas of Iraq. I can make sure they get to the organizations that do that.Thanks for forwarding this out and say hello to my fellow Bay Area Huskers.GO BIG RED!!!!!!.."

I've talked with our chapter Prez and most of the board and the concensus is that we have a clothing donation rally at the upcoming Missouri game on November 4th. The goal would be to have everyone attending at our four watch sites bring an item of clothing as described by Tom above (new or "nicely used" and clean) to be shipped to Iraq. Designated watch site coordinators can collect the items and I'll arrange to pick them up and have the box(es) shipped over to Tom for distribution. Thanks in advance, I'll have more details next week when we know the time for the Mizzou game!

Go Big Red (White and Blue),

Carl

P.S. Don't forget to set your clocks back Saturday night...enjoy the extra hour of sleep ;o)Watch Sites...Sorry we didn't get the word out to everyone before the Texas game that ABC wasn't going to show the game out here, but it sounds like we had a tremendous showing at the watch sites when everyone realized they couldn't watch it at home. To avoid any confusion, this week's game against Oklahoma State (away game) will again be televised by ABC as a regional broadcast, which means that their affiliates out here on the west coast won't show it as a normal broadcast game. Unless you purchase the ESPN college football sports package at home (I think it costs around $20 for a single game), the only way to watch this one (and also the upcoming Missouri game) will be to come on out to our watch sites and join other Husker fans for the game. Kickoff will be at 12:30 Pacific time, so get to your favorite watch site early for a little pub grub lunch before the game begins.

Even with the last minute confusion about the broadcast last week I heard there was a big turnout at all of our watch sites for the Texas game. Over 150 at Jack's in Fremont, a capacity crowd at Final-Final and a huge crowd at Legends. Hope to see you there again this Saturday. Go Big Red...beat the OSU Cowboys!

=========

BIG RED REVIEW: NO. 5 HORNS ESCAPE ON LATE KICK...

Jay Moore led the Blackshirts with three tackles for loss against Texas on Saturday.Big Red Review is your source for a complete postgame recap of Nebraska's classic battle with No. 5 Texas on Saturday. Huskers.com provides a complete game story, stats, notes, quotes and photos.

You should click on the comments by Coach Mack Brown...very nice compliments for the team and our fans!

Excerpt from the Recap...

Lincoln - The heavens may have been on the side of No. 17 Nebraska, but the first field goal attempt of Ryan Bailey's career with 23 seconds left in the game gave No. 5 Texas a 22-20 victory over the Huskers at Memorial Stadium on Saturday.

Bailey's kick allowed the Longhorns to escape with a win to improve to 7-1 overall and 4-0 in the Big 12, while the Huskers slipped to 6-2 overall and 3-1 in the league. It also put an end to a miserable kicking day for UT, which missed a pair of short field goals and had an extra-point blocked.

The kick did not end the suspense of a classic college football game between two of the winningest programs in the nation. After the UT field goal, Nebraska used the last few ticks of the clock to sprint to the 45 on a completion and pitch. Then, Zac Taylor threw a Hail Mary pass 55 yards into the NU end zone that fell incomplete, but a roughing the passer penalty on Texas moved the ball to the UT 40 and gave the Huskers one more shot.

Taylor again dropped back and tossed another long shot into the end zone, which was deflected and fell to the ground to end the game.

With three minutes left in the game, it looked like Nebraska was going to secure its first win over Texas since 1999. Not only did the Huskers own a 20-19 lead, but the first snowfall of the season began right after NU's go-ahead touchdown and the Blackshirts had stopped Texas on the ensuing drive to give NU the ball back with the lead.

But a fumble after a completed pass on third down by NU gave Texas the ball in Husker territory with 2:17 left. Texas drove to the Husker 5, and Bailey kicked UT's third 22-yard field goal of the game as the brief snowfall stopped falling inside Memorial Stadium. (More at the link above)

=========NU CONTINUES PREPARATION FOR OKLAHOMA STATE...

Coach Callahan said center Brett Byford continues to be a big part of NU's game plan despite the return of starter Kurt Mann.

Lincoln – The 20th-ranked Nebraska football team escaped frigid outside temperatures with a two-hour, half-pad practice inside the Hawks Championship Center in preparation for Big 12 opponent Oklahoma State at 2:30 p.m. Saturday. The contest marks the Huskers’ fifth straight Big 12 match-up and the first time the team has faced Oklahoma State in Stillwater since the 2002 season.

Head Coach Bill Callahan was pleased with the fast-paced rhythm of practice as the team prepares to face the final third of its season schedule, which includes two road games.

“It was a good practice, a good tempo and a good energy on the practice field,” Callahan said. “I really liked the way we practiced today. We did a lot of situational review, we worked on our third-down package, we worked on short-yardage goal line, play-action passing and drop-back passing. All in all, it was a good day.”

“We went in with a great plan, and we started Brett Byford because he was part of that plan,” Callahan said. “I think (offensive line) Coach (Dennis) Wagner wanted to let Brett play it out, and I thought (he) played a great game.”

After confirming that senior guard Greg Austin is back to full speed after spraining his knee against Iowa State, Callahan was additionally encouraged with the performance by junior tackle Carl Nicks, who has recently showcased impressive play in practice.

“He’s pretty good,” Callahan said. “This week has been a really good practice (week) for him, and I know Coach Wagner feels really confident about his performance out on the field. This week during practice he has really, really improved, and we’re encouraged by that. Hopefully you’ll see him sometime on Saturday. It’s about experience. He’s more comfortable back on the left side now. It was just a matter of time before he worked into the mix. But we’re confident in his ability to play, and anxious to watch him.”

The Huskers continue practice for Saturday’s match-up with the Cowboys with a workout Thursday afternoon.

The Big 12 Conference and ABC Sports announced on Monday that Nebraska’s Nov. 4 game against Missouri has been selected for telecast by the network. ABC will utilize its option of a six-day pick to determine the game time which will be either 9 a.m. PST or 5 p.m. PST.

In addition to the Nebraska-Missouri game in Lincoln, ABC will also televise the Oklahoma at Texas A&M game on Nov. 4. Network officials will determine which game will be placed in each particular time slot following the results of this weekend’s games.

The ABC telecast will give Nebraska a guaranteed six appearances on the network this season. The Huskers have already played ABC contests against USC, Iowa State and Texas, with this week’s game at Oklahoma State and the Nov. 24 game against Colorado also slated for telecast by ABC.

A game time and television information for Nebraska’s Nov. 11 game at Texas A&M could be made as early as next Monday.

In addition to the two games selected by ABC for Nov. 4, the Oklahoma State at Texas game will be televised by TBS.=========

ROZIER HONORED AT HALFTIME OF NU-TEXAS GAME...

Mike Rozier will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame on Dec. 5, 2006.

Lincoln - Former Husker I-back great Mike Rozier was honored at halftime of Saturday’s Nebraska-Texas game at Memorial Stadium for his upcoming induction into the College Football Hall of Fame. Rozier officially will become the 13th Nebraska player inducted on Dec. 5, 2006 at the 49th Annual Awards Dinner in New York City.

Chuck Neinas, representing the National Football Foundation, will be on hand for Saturday’s on-campus salute, while four other Husker greats—each a Hall of Famer—will stand alongside Rozier during halftime festivities. Former Nebraska Head Coach Tom Osborne, who coached Rozier from 1981 to 1983, will be joined by Forrest Behm (1938-40), Rich Glover (1970-72) and Johnny Rodgers (1970-72) in celebrating the induction of NU’s leading career rusher.

HUSKERS IN THE NFL - WEEK 8...

Former Husker running back Ahman Green ran for a 70-yard touchdown in the Packer's 34-24 win over Miami.

Demorrio Williams (Atlanta)—Williams racked up two solo tackles in the Falcons 41-38 win over Pittsburgh as Atlanta advanced to 4-2 on the season.

Sam Koch (Baltimore)—Sam Koch enjoyed a bye week as the Ravens prepare for its Week 7 game against the Saints. The Seward, Neb., has averaged 43.9 yards on 37 punts this season, including pinning 11 inside the 20-yard line, as Baltimore stands at 4-2 to lead the AFC North.

Mike Brown (Chicago)—Brown and the Chicago Bears continued to enjoy their undefeated season with a bye week as they prepare to face San Francisco in Week 8.

Kyle Larson (Cincinnati)—Larson averaged 37.6 yards on eight punts in the Bengal’s 17-14 win over the Carolina Panthers. The former Husker specialist also had a long of 54 yards and pinned a season-high four inside the 20-yard line.

Ralph Brown (Cleveland)—Brown had one tackle in the Brown’s 17-7 loss to the Denver Broncos.Daniel Bullocks (Detroit)—Bullocks racked up a season-high nine tackles, including seven solo, in the Lion’s 31-24 loss to the Jets.

Dominic Raiola (Detroit)—Raiola made his 70th consecutive start at center for the Lions, blocking for a three-touchdown Jon Kitna performance in Detroit’s 31-24 loss to New York.

Railoa, a Rimington Award Winner in 2000, anchored a Detroit offensive line that allowed running back Kevin Jones to rack up 86 yards on 15 carries.

Cory Schlesinger (Detroit)—Schlesinger played in his 174th career game at fullback but did not catch a pass.

Ahman Green (Green Bay)—Green ran for a 70-yard touchdown to put the Packers ahead of the Dolphins 31-21 at the top of the fourth quarter. Green finished with 18 carries for 118 yards and one touchdown in the Packers 34-24 win over Miami. Green’s 118-yard performance in the Packer’s second win of the season placed him as the franchise’s all-time leader in yards from scrimmage, pushing him past James Lofton in career yards from scrimmage with 9,909.

Kris Brown (Houston)—Brown snagged two field goals and three extra points in Houston’s 27-7 win over Jacksonville, including a 43-yarder that put the Texans up 10-0 heading into halftime.

Zach Wiegert (Houston)—Wiegert anchored an offensive line that held Dallas to just one sack of quarterback David Carr and allowed Carr to throw 25-34 for 224 yards and two touchdowns in Houston’s 27-7 win over the Jaguars.

Will Shields (Kansas City)—Shield’s recorded his franchise-record 214th consecutive start at right guard for the Chiefs in Kansas City’s 30-27 win over the San Diego Chargers. Shields contributed to the blocking that led to a 15-27, 232-yard, two touchdown Damon Huard performance as the Chief’s snagged its third win of the season with a 53-yard field goal as time expired.

Russ Hochstein (New England)—Hochstein played center for a New England offensive effort that included an 18-27, 195-yard two touchdown performance from quarterback Tom Brady as the Patriots rolled over the Bills 28-6.

Le Kevin Smith (New England)—Smith was not active for the Patriot’s 28-6 win over Buffalo.

Josh Bullocks (New Orleans)—Bullocks and the Saints enjoyed a bye week as the team prepares to face Baltimore in Week 8. Bullocks has racked up 33 tackles, including 28 solo, and one interception through six games this season.

DeJuan Groce (New Orleans)—Groce and New Orleans enjoyed their 5-1 record one week longer with bye as the team prepares to face the Ravens in Week 8. Groce has had one tackle after being active in two games this season.

Scott Shanle (New Orleans)—Shanle was able to snag some rest with a bye week after recording a team-high six tackles, all solo, against Philadelphia in Week 6 as the teams prepare to face Baltimore in Week 8. Shanle has snagged 36 tackles, including 27 solo, through six games this season after totaling 45 through the entire year in 2005. Shanle has also added two sacks so far this season.

Adam Treu (Oakland)—Treu played in his 150th career game with Oakland, serving as the squad’s long snapper, as the Raiders snagged their first win of the season with a 22-9 hammering of the Cardinals.

Fabian Washington (Oakland)—Washington recorded one solo tackle in the Raider’s 22-9 win over Arizona. Washington has recorded eight tackles, including seven solo, while also adding three pass-breakups, through four games this season.

Correll Buckhalter (Philadelphia)—Buckhalter had five yards on one carry and 10 yards on one reception as the Eagles lost to the Saints 27-24.

Ryon Bingham (San Diego)—Bingham did not record a tackle but was active in the Chargers’ 30-27 loss to the Chiefs.

Josh Brown (Seattle)—Brown scored on two field goals and one extra point as Seattle fell to Minnesota 31-13.

Grant Wistrom (Seattle)—Wistrom had two tackles, including one solo in the Seahawk’s 31-13 loss to the Vikings.

Barrett Ruud (Tampa Bay)—Ruud snagged three tackles, including two solo, as Tampa Bay snagged its second win of the season with a 63-yard field goal as time expired to edge the Philadelphia Eagles 23-21.

Kyle Vanden Bosch (Tennessee)—Vanden Bosch and the Titans rested with a bye week as the team prepares to face the Houston Texans in Week 8. Vanden Bosch has totaled 27 tackles, including 20 solo, through six games this season, while also adding two sacks.=========

HUSKER VOLLEYBALL TEAM TAMES TIGERS, 3-0...

Jordan Larson had 15 kills against Missouri Wednesday evening.

Lincoln -- Sarah Pavan's 18 kills on .424 hitting led an explosive attack, as No. 1 Nebraska blitzed No. 16 Missouri, 30-27, 30-23, 30-16 in front of a sellout crowd of 4,139 Wednesday evening at the NU Coliseum and a national television audience. The Huskers (19-0, 11-0 Big 12) put together one of their best offensive performances of the year, hitting .429 as a team, while four NU attackers - Pavan, Kori Cooper, Dani Mancuso and Jordan Larson - all hit over .400 in the sweep. It was NU’s best offensive performance since hitting .487 against Saint Mary’s in early September, and the Huskers’ best hitting night against a ranked foe since the 2005 national semifinals against Santa Clara, a match NU hit .449. Cook said the key to NU’s success was the strong performance in the transition game, as Rachel Holloway was able to spread the Huskers’ attack all over the court. Holloway recorded her seventh double-double of the season with 48 assists and 12 digs, as the NU hit .400 or better in each of the first two games.

“Rachel (Holloway) did a great job tonight of running our offense,” Cook said. “Our transition game took a great jump tonight. Once we were able to dig the ball, we were getting great swings, especially from Jordan (Larson), Dani (Mancuso) and Sarah (Pavan). Our out-of-system plays and transition game were very good tonight.”

While Pavan had a match-high 18 kills, she was one of four Huskers to record at least eight kills. Larson totaled 15 kills on .458 hitting, but saw her streak of consecutive double-doubles end at 10 matches. Mancuso also enjoyed another strong performance, hitting a season-high .438 with eight kills, while Tracy Stalls also chipped in eight kills. Cooper rounded out the Huskers’ attack, posting six kills on just 10 swings while also tying Pavan and Stalls with a team-high three blocks.

Missouri Coach Wayne Kreklow said Huskers’ balance was the difference tonight, while MU had just two players finish with more than four kills.

“I think we were trying to contain people,” Kreklow said. “It’s the toughest job because they’ve got hitters everywhere. When you’ve got hitters like (Nebraska) in all positions, you’ve got a lot of options. Obviously, you look at the hitting numbers, and we’ve got people in negatives, it’s hard to beat a team like that.”

=========HUSKER SOCCER RALLIES PAST RAMBLERS, 3-2...

Nebraska came back from a 2-1 deficit to take a 3-2 win over Loyola-Chicago on Wednesday.

Lincoln – The Husker soccer team used a gutsy, come-from-behind effort to post a 3-2 victory over a tough Loyola-Chicago squad on a cold and drizzly Wednesday afternoon at the Nebraska Soccer Field.

The Huskers’ win in the last regular-season contest of the year improved their record to 10-6-3 on the season. With the victory, Nebraska has now won at least 10 games in each of the 13 years of the program. Loyola-Chicago fell to 11-6-3 with the loss.

After sophomore Jessie Goodell put Nebraska on the board less than two minutes into the game, the Ramblers stormed back with goals in the 17th and 28th minutes to take a 2-1 lead of their own.

Nebraska then took control of the game and found the equalizer late in the first period after a brilliant effort from sophomore Aysha Jamani. The Huskers controlled play for most of the second half and freshman Brittany Lanier scored the game-winner by firing a point-blank shot into the back of the net following a prolonged fight for possession in front of the Rambler goal.

Sophomores Brian Parr (left) and Ari Goldstein (right) take the Huskers into the Big 12 Championships this Friday, Oct. 27.

After one of the most successful regular seasons in recent years, the Husker men’s and women’s cross country teams will look to achieve their postseason goals beginning this Friday with the Big 12 Championships in Lawrence, Kan.

For the first time in Big 12 history, the conference meet will be held at the Rim Rock Farm (directions at the bottom), with the women’s 6K starting at 10 a.m., and the men’s 8K following at 11 a.m.

“Our goal is to finish as high as we can, and the good thing is that I think we have better teams on both sides than we did last year, quite a bit better actually,” Head Coach Jay Dirksen said. “We have to build on what we did last year and just keep getting better and better and take that into this week.”

The Husker men and women combined for four meet titles this regular season and eight top-10 finishes. Most recently, Nebraska came home with impressive sixth (women) and 11th- (men) place showings at the Chile Pepper Festival in Fayetteville, Ark., on Oct. 14. All five squads that finished ahead of the NU women are nationally ranked, and the men’s position was five spots higher than at the 2005 Chile Pepper Festival.

So far, the 2006 season has seen underclassmen perform like veterans and experienced juniors and seniors step up in clutch situations.

=========ALEX GORDON WINS SPINK AWARD AS TOPPS/MINOR LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE YEAR...

Alex Gordon was the 2006 winner of the 2006 J.G. Taylor Spink Award for minor league player of the year.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Former University of Nebraska All-American and current Kansas City Royals minor leaguer Alex Gordon was honored this week, as he was won the 2006 J.G. Taylor Spink Award as the Topps/Minor League Player of the Year.

The Wichita third baseman ranked in the top five in 10 offensive categories in the Double-A Texas League, proving he can handle the pressures of being a high draft pick. The Kansas City Royals selected Gordon second overall in the 2005 June Draft after his junior season at the University of Nebraska. Gordon, from Lincoln, Neb., won all four collegiate baseball player of the year awards in 2005, hitting .372 with 19 homers and 66 RBIs.

The left-handed hitter got his 2006 season off to a fast start with two hits, including a home run, in his first professional game. Gordon, 22, followed that game up with two hits the next night and another three the following evening.

On his way to the league MVP award, Gordon hit .325 with 111 runs, 39 doubles, 29 homers, 101 RBIs and 22 stolen bases. After slumping a bit in June, Gordon rebounded to claim Topps Player of the Month honors for the Texas League in July and August with almost identical numbers. Gordon hit .355 with 31 RBIs in both months. The only difference was he hit one more round-tripper (10) in August than he did in July.=========NEWS FROM THE HOMELAND....

Lots of nasty politics going on back home as the elections draw near. Kind of a change (in the wrong direction) for Nebraska politics...not a good trend as the ads are starting to sound more like California and other contentious states. I'll try not to include any of the trash talking stuff in my next few emails but I will try to share articles about a few of the issues facing Nebraskans in the ENews. If you are interested in the politics back home, the World Herald, Journal Star and the State Paper websites are full of stuff about the various races (especially the Senate race).

PROVIDENCE (R.I.) JOURNALI recently returned from a two-week vacation in Nebraska. When I tell that to friends on the East Coast, they ask, "Why there?" This is their shorthand for a longer question, which is, "What's in Nebraska, if anything?"

To many Americans living outside that cubist collection of Great Plains states, Nebraska is a total blank. It is the heart of flyover country. Many drivers who race across it on Interstate 80 think it's flat and boring. As one friend who traveled that 450-mile stretch put it, "Nebraska never ends."

Actually, this was my third trip to Nebraska in five years. I go there to do some reporting and see friends, but mostly I go there for pleasure.

Nebraska for me is the land of decompression. It's zero traffic, polite young people, adults in no big hurry and lunch bills in the single digits. It's days spent driving scenic backroads through farm and ranch country, much of it rolling hills. (No, Nebraska isn't all flat.) It's coming across tiny towns that time and the new economy seem to have forgotten.

This is one of the least Americanized places in America. These are probably fighting words in a state that sees itself as the most American of all. But I'm not talking about patriotism, work ethic or other traits that Nebraska has plenty of. I refer, rather, to Nebraska's escape from most of the depersonalization, mindless sprawl, congestion and ugly strip development that plagues America's population corridors.

Yes, there is modern ugliness at the edges of the bigger cities, notably Omaha and Lincoln. But one can drive through entire counties in Nebraska and not see a single big-box store. They're too thinly populated to support a Wal-Mart (otherwise, there would be one). Cherry County, for example, is bigger than Connecticut but has only 6,098 people. Connecticut has 3.4 million.

In Nebraska, you roll into pretty little towns, unspoiled by prosperity. You wonder what goes on in hamlets with only a gasoline pump and a tiny grocery for commerce. What's it like going to a regional high school with fewer than 100 kids?

I'm well aware that these pastoral settings suffer their share of addictions, violence and other social dysfunction. Many are hurting economically and losing population. Those thoughts add sadness to a trip through a beautiful, depopulating region like the Republican River Valley. It's hard to fathom that people are actually leaving these pretty towns.

Because Nebraska isn't all built up, you can stand where history happened and feel the emotions - especially out west (buttes here, not cornfields). Up on Scotts Bluff, you look down at the endless Platte Valley and imagine the Mormon pioneers pulling their handcarts over 1,000 miles to Salt Lake City. At historic Fort Robinson, you can reconstruct some of the Indian tragedies - the Cheyenne Outbreak, the death of Crazy Horse, the Ghost Dance - on a landscape little changed from the late 1800s.

Even at obvious tourist attractions, I didn't spot many "foreign" plates from states like California, New York or Texas. Nebraska scenery lacks the glamour quotient of the Rocky Mountains or the Grand Canyon, which draw visitors by their own power.

Nebraska's premier natural wonder is awesome in a more subtle way. The Sand Hills are the largest dune formation in North America and a sight unlike any other. Let's just say that a drive through this eerie dunescape on an empty twolane road - Nebraska Public Radio in your ear - will put you at unity with the jazz universe.

These are the things that I tell friends who have been to Europe 12 times and fly to the other coast for long weekends but have never touched down in Nebraska. That's why I like to go there and why I'll go again.

========

HUSKER IN BAGHDAD 2006 #1

I appreciate everyone’s interest in receiving these occasional emails from Baghdad. We truly do appreciate the ongoing support to this mission. By classical military conflict standards, this is still has still been a relatively short campaign. Yes, three years and counting, but pales in comparison to conflicts of prior generations.

First impressions

Every time I return to Iraq, one of my first ‘sensory’ tests on how things have changed is the drive from the Baghdad International Airport to the International Zone, and the changes in the IZ itself.

On the flight in and at the passenger terminals, you hear the horror stories and accounts of the ‘road of death’ and other hot spots throughout theater. Without downplaying the security issues, you learn after awhile that some of the talk is simply the long-term folks testing the nerve of the new arrivals. Usually, after speaking out loud how one or two things have changed, these folks realize that we’re not all wide-eyed newbie’s and you start to get more accurate assessments of how things are.

Truth is things have changed. A lot for the good, but some very visible steps backward…

Three years of operations have seen substantial site improvements in the forward operating bases our military and service people operate in. Many of the routine routes and service ports have been fortified and upgraded. As conflict areas go, we’ve hardened up a lot.

The International Zone (formerly called the Green Zone) has changed a lot as well. It really is an international operating center of Iraqi government actions, US Embassy and Multi-National operations, local Iraqi citizens, vendors and the like. T-Walls everywhere, but otherwise a living, breathing operating city within the greater area of Baghdad.

Critics call it a false ‘safe-haven’. Many say it skews the objectivity of people working here since it in no way reflects the day-to-day struggles of greater Baghdad. That part is true, but to suggest that reality diminishes the objectivity of the people working here is naive. While there may be walls...there is no roof. The sustained mortar barrage the first week here attests to the fact that this is still very much a part of the struggling security landscape that is Baghdad.

Threats of kidnappings and other dangers exist. It’s more downtown Detroit than Disneyland (my apologies to anyone from Detroit).

When I arrived at the Corps operating area here in the International Zone, it was reassuring to see many familiar faces, both Corps personnel and Iraqi nations. These local nationals are patriots in my opinion, working side-by-side the multi-national forces to better their own country.

Considering the constant threat many of these people face by militias in their neighborhoods throughout Baghdad, it is good to see they are still with us and still committed to the work to improve their own country.

Sadly, some faces are not here. Some have chosen to flee to neighboring countries to protect themselves and their families. And, more sadly, some did not leave in time. There is another group of local workers whose whereabouts are unknown, and the combined Iraqi and Corps family simply wonder and pray.

Talking with the local Iraqi workers, you can see their frustration with the slow pace of their own government standing up, but also their worry about the vocal debate going on in the US. They have a valid concern on the accelerated timetable being set by those running for office and the sometimes wavering of support for the mission here. Many wonder out loud what the election impacts will have on the commitment to the mission here. They wonder why the evaluation, discussion and policy on the effort here is driven more by the electoral calendar in the U.S. and less the reality and dynamic of the environment here is Iraq.

They have a good point.

Folks don’t realize how the political debate on a new timetable exacerbates the militia efforts here and worry the diligent Iraqis.

Interestingly, despite the rhetoric from the politicians in the U.S. on the progress and speed of the government here, the louder cry for increased speed and resolve of the Iraqi government is from the Iraqi people themselves. Their dedication is steadfast and they are equally critical of their own politicians. They are looking for that one solid leader to unite the factions within the parliament.

Iraqis also point out that to build a democracy is hard work. Interestingly, they have a solid understanding of the foundation of democracy in the United States and continue to point out the timetable it took for our government to become ‘stable’ and ‘self-sustained’ after our liberation -- many more years than we have allowed occurring over here (and ours was during a time of muskets and cannons, not AK-47s and IEDs.)

Throughout it all, the Iraqis maintain their humor. When they hear about the debate in the U.S. and claims from the politicians that the Iraqi government is ineffective, without support of its people, and question the validity of the elections, they ask somewhat sarcastically, “how different is that from the U.S.?” (referring to our mudslinging, shallow debates on issues and the rhetoric of vote counts and recounts during the past few elections.)

These Iraqis, these real down to earth people, are why this will work over here. Unfortunately, that is not the word getting out.

Media coverage on progress here continues to be nearly non-existent. An article this past week cited that the embed program of journalist has dropped from several hundred to merely a few dozen in Iraq. It’s no longer sexy.

We have had success getting reporters from smaller markets in the U.S. to come over here.

They have produced insightful stories on the construction and difference-making missions our service people are achieving here. When we ask them if they can help push these reports up into the networks back home, we are told the networks re not interested in the good news stories. It’s frustrating and it affects the mission.

Too important not to cover…

Here in the IZ, constantly, you hear the roar of the helicopters flying in and out. Too often it is the medical chopper from the CASH (military hospital) flying to retrieve an injured patriot from the field. Soldiers, civilians, and Iraqi citizen, the CASH treats those in need. That effort and their sacrifice should be properly recorded if we are to truly ‘support our troops.’

My first few weeks here have been busy ‘spinning up’ on the current players and organizations working here to tell the real story in Iraq. I hope to provide more information on the reconstruction effort in the next message.

That’s about it for this first email. Someone told me before I left to keep them coming but make them shorter ;) I’ll try.

You can follow the progress here in Iraq on the Multi-National Force in Iraq web site at http://www.mnf-iraq.com/ There you can sign up for weekly emails/newsletters, view AFN broadcasts and video of real progress stories and send messages to the heroes here in Iraq. This is the news that should be getting out.

If you know of someone who you know was looking to receive these, and is not, have them contact me. The views expressed in this email are mineand do not necessarily reflect that of the MNFI, Department of Defense, or the U.S Army Corps of Engineers.

Sunday, October 22, 2006

The game this weekend could be a warmup for the Big 12 title. We will still need to beat Mizzou in a couple of weeks to clinch the north, but how we fare against Texas on Saturday should give us an idea how we might do on December 2nd in Kansas City for all the marbles. A victory Saturday would also vault us in the polls and we could end up a lot closer to the top ten next week. The betting line heavily favors Texas, but the game is on our turf and we could just upset the Horns...wouldn't that be fun!

Go Big Red (White and Blue),

Carl

Watch Sites Ready for Texas Game...

Kickoff for the Texas game is at 9:00 a.m. (Pacific) on Saturday.

The game will be broadcast by ABC.

Both Final-Final and Jack's will open early for us, and Jack's will have their breakfast menu ready for the crowd. Knuckles in Monterey will be open as normal for the early games and so will Legends in Concord (because its at a golf course), so everyone should get out there early and get a good seat for one of the biggest games of the season for the Huskers.

Here's what Steve Curry (watch site coordinator) sent to the Final-Final Faithful:

Horns & Huskers...

Wow, great turnout for Arnie's (Final-Final owner) pay-per-view pickup of the KSU game. A few imported cheerleaders did a great job of encouraging some serious chants, rants, and other assorted noise. My accurate census indicates 70 Husker fans helped intimidate all but two horns from joining in the fun.

Arnie was quite pleased with the show and indicated that he will open the Final Final shortly after 8:00am (for a 9:00 broadcast) this Saturday so we can establish a claim on the best watch party areas of the place. Let's arrive before the horns and stake out the good turf.

Go Big Scarlet & Cream,

Steve

=========BIG RED REVIEW: HUSKERS TAME WILDCATS...

Brandon Jackson rushed for 92 yards to lead Nebraska's ground game against Kansas State on Saturday.

Manhattan, Kan. - The No. 21 Nebraska football team controlled Kansas State from start to finish with a strong Blackshirt defense and a powerful running game on its way to a 21-3 win over the Wildcats at Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan on Saturday night.

With the victory, Nebraska improved to 6-1 on the season and 3-0 in the Big 12 Conference, while dropping Kansas State to 4-3 overall and 1-2 in the league. The win made the Huskers bowl eligible for the 37th time in the past 38 seasons, while Nebraska also became just the fourth program in history to reach the 800-win plateau, joining Michigan, Notre Dame and Texas. The Huskers will face the Longhorns on Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln.

The Huskers, who ended a four-game losing streak in Manhattan to the Wildcats, set the tone on the game's opening drive by marching 80 yards on nine plays to take a 7-0 lead. It was the fourth consecutive game that Nebraska scored on the opening drive, but the first opening drive to end on a touchdown pass from a holder to a reserve tight end.

=========BIG 12 UNBEATENS, TRADITIONAL POWERS SET TO CLASH...

Zac Taylor and the Huskers will look to defeat a Top-5 team in Lincoln for the fifth straight time Saturday against Texas.

Lincoln - After a successful two-game road trip, Nebraska returns to Lincoln this Saturday to face its second top-five opponent of 2006 as defending national champion Texas pays a visit to Memorial Stadium. The Huskers and Longhorns lead their respective divisions of the Big 12 and are the only unbeaten teams in conference play, both at 3-0. The game will be televised to more than 80 percent of the United States by ABC, with kickoff set for shortly after 9 a.m. PDT.

The Huskers improved to 6-1 overall and 3-0 in Big 12 action last Saturday with a 21-3 victory over Kansas State in Manhattan. The win marked Nebraska’s second straight road victory over a Big 12 North foe, coming on the heels of a 28-14 victory at Iowa State. The 3-0 mark has given Nebraska an early advantage in the Big 12 North, one game ahead of Missouri and two games in front of Colorado and Kansas State.

The win at Kansas State continued to inch the Huskers up the national polls. NU moved up four spots to 17th in this week’s Associated Press Poll, and improved four positions to No. 16 in the USA Today Coaches Poll.

Texas enters Saturday’s matchup with a 6-1 overall mark and a 3-0 record in Big 12 play after a 63-31 victory over Baylor in Austin. The Longhorns’ only loss of the 2006 season was a Sept. 9 setback against top-ranked Ohio State in Austin. That loss is Texas’ only blemish in its past 27 games. Texas will come to Lincoln with a No. 5 national ranking in both polls, marking Nebraska’s first top-five opponent in Lincoln since defeating No. 2 Oklahoma in 2001.

In addition to matching the Big 12’s remaining unbeaten teams, Saturday’s game will also match two of the nation’s four programs with 800 all-time victories. Texas won its 800th game last season in the Rose Bowl, while Nebraska reached that plateau with last week’s win at Kansas State. Saturday’s game will be just the third in college football history between schools with 800 all-time victories, joining 2005 and 2006 games between Notre Dame and Michigan.

Huskers Take Big 12 North Lead with Second Straight Road VictoryNebraska controlled Kansas State from start to finish on its way to a 21-3 win over the Wildcats in Manhattan on Saturday night. The win was Nebraska’s first at Kansas State in a decade and marked Nebraska’s second straight Big 12 North road win, after picking up a win at Iowa State a week earlier.

Nebraska improved to 6-1 on the season and 3-0 in the Big 12, while making the Huskers bowl eligible for the 37th time in the past 38 seasons. Nebraska also became just the fourth program in history to reach the 800-win plateau, joining Michigan, Notre Dame and Texas.

=========HUSKERS TO FACE OSU COWBOYS ON ABC...(this will be a regional broadcast and probably won't be available on the west coast without the ESPN sports package - which is available at our 4 watch site locations)

Nebraska will be featured on ABC for the second straight week when it faces Oklahoma State on Oct. 28 in Stillwater, Okla.

The Big 12 Conference and ABC Sports announced on Monday that Nebraska’s Oct. 28 game at Oklahoma State will be televised regionally by the network, with kickoff set for 12:30 p.m. PDT.

The ABC telecast will be the second straight for the Huskers, following this week’s ABC telecast of the Nebraska-Texas game which will be shown to more than 80 percent of the country.

Nebraska had two other ABC telecasts earlier this season in road games at USC and Iowa State, and its Nov. 24 home game against Colorado will be televised nationally by the network.

The ABC telecast of the Nebraska-Oklahoma State game marks the second straight Husker-Cowboy matchup televised by the network. ABC also provided the telecast of Nebraska’s 17-7 victory over Oklahoma State in Lincoln in 2003. ABC also televised Nebraska’s matchups with Oklahoma State in 1977, 1981 and 1984.

In addition to the Nebraska-Oklahoma State game, the other Big 12 games selected for telecast on Oct. 28 include Oklahoma at Missouri (ABC, 9 a.m.) and Texas at Texas Tech (4 p.m., TBS) Pacific Time.

Game times for Nebraska’s games against Missouri (Nov. 4) and at Texas A&M (Nov. 11) will be announced six to 12 days in advance of the game.=========

HUSKERS IN THE NFL WEEK 6...Josh Brown kicked a 54-yard game-winning field goal as time expired to give the Seahawks the 30-28 edge over St. Louis.

Demorrio Williams (Atlanta)—Williams racked up a team-leading nine tackles, including seven solo, against the New York Giants (3-2) during a 27-14 Atlanta Falcons (3-2) loss.

Sam Koch (Baltimore)—Sam Koch averaged 43.2 yards on five punts as the Ravens (4-2) fell to Carolina 23-21. The Seward, Neb., native had one 58 yarder and also pinned two inside the Panther (4-2) 20-yard line.

Cory Ross (Baltimore)—Ross was inactive during the Ravens’ 23-21 loss to Carolina.

Chris Kelsay (Buffalo)—Kelsay made six tackles, including three solos, for the second week in a row in the Bills' (2-4) 20-17 loss to the Detroit Lions (1-5).

Mike Minter (Carolina)—Minter recorded three solo tackles and two assisted tackles to contribute to the Panther’s (4-2) 23-21 edging of Baltimore (4-2).

Mike Rucker (Carolina)—Rucker had two solo tackles during the Panthers' 23-21 win over the Ravens.

Mike Brown (Chicago)—Brown had one of two defensive touchdowns on fumble returns that led to a 24-23 comeback win by the Bears on Monday Night Football. Brown's three-yard fumble return put the Bears within two scores in the bottom of the third quarter. Brown also added five tackles, including four solo, in the Bear's sixth win of the season.

Kyle Larson (Cincinnati)—Larson averaged 42.0 yards on seven punts in the Bengals' 14-13 loss to Tampa Bay. The former Husker specialist notched a long of 49 yards and pinned another inside the Buccaneer 20-yard line.

Ralph Brown (Cleveland)—Brown and Cleveland enjoyed a bye week and will face the Denver Broncos in Week 7.

Daniel Bullocks (Detroit)—Bullocks snagged six tackles, including two solo, as Detroit earned its first win of the season with a 20-17 decision over the Buffalo Bills.

Dominic Raiola (Detroit)—Raiola made his 70th consecutive start at center for the Lions in the team’s first win of the season. Railoa, a Rimington Award Winner in 2000, anchored a Detroit offensive line that allowed quarterback Jon Kitna to complete 24-of-36 attempts for 278 yards and one touchdown.

Cory Schlesinger (Detroit)—Schlesinger played in his 173rd career game at fullback and caught one pass for six yards in the Lions' first win of the season.

Kris Brown (Houston)—Brown had two field goals in Houston’s 34-6 loss to Dallas, including a 48-yarder that put the Texans up 6-3 at halftime.

Zach Wiegert (Houston)—Wiegert anchored an offensive line that held Dallas to no sacks of quarterback David Carr and allowed Carr to complete 15-of-27 throws for 128 yards.

Will Shields (Kansas City)—Shields' recorded his franchise-record 213th consecutive start at right guard for the Chiefs in Kansas City’s 45-7 loss to Pittsburgh. Shields contributed to the blocking that led to a 26-yard, one touchdown Larry Johnson performance.

Russ Hochstein (New England)—Hochstein and the Patriots enjoyed a bye in Week 6.Le Kevin Smith (New England)—Smith and New England had a bye and will face the Buffalo Bills in Week 7.

Josh Bullocks (New Orleans)—Bullocks racked up four tackles, including three solo, as the Saints continued to roll in their fifth win as they defeated Philadelphia, 27-24.

DeJuan Groce (New Orleans)—Groce had one tackle in the Saints’ 27-24 victory over the Eagles. Groce just returned to action after spending the first five weeks of the season rehabbing an injured hamstring.

Scott Shanle (New Orleans)—Shanle recorded a team-high six tackles, all solo, as the Saints rolled over Philadelphia, 27-24.

Adam Treu (Oakland)—Treu played in his 149th career game with Oakland during the Raiders’ 13-3 loss to Denver, serving as the squad’s long snapper.

Fabian Washington (Oakland)—Washington did not play in Oakland’s 13-3 loss to the Broncos.Correll Buckhalter (Philadelphia)—Buckhalter had five yards on one carry and 10 yards on one reception as the Eagles lost to the Saints, 27-24.

Ryon Bingham (San Diego)—Bingham did not record a tackle but was active in the Chargers’ 48-19 victory over San Francisco.

Carlos Polk (San Diego)—Polk did not record a tackle but recorded his fifth game of action this season in San Diego’s 48-19 win over the 49ers.

Josh Brown (Seattle)—Brown kicked a 54-yard game-winning field goal as time expired to give the Seahawks the 30-28 edge over St. Louis. Brown connected on three field goals and three extra points to account for 12 of Seattle’s points.

Grant Wistrom (Seattle)—Wistrom had four solo tackles in the Seahawks' 30-28 win over the Rams.

Kyle Vanden Bosch (Tennessee)—Vanden Bosch snagged three tackles, including two solo, in his sixth straight start for as the Titans, who picked up their first win in a 25-22 edging of Washington.=========

One of the most anticipated matchups of the college volleyball season takes place this Wednesday, as the No. 1 ranked Nebraska volleyball team travels to Austin, Texas, for a matchup with No. 9 Texas. First serve from Gregory Gymnasium is set for 6:30 p.m. and the game can be heard on the Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Omaha, and on Huskers.com. Wednesday’s match will also be shown to a national audience, as the match will be carried live nationally on ESPNU (Ch. 609 on DirecTV; Ch. 148 on DISH).

The Huskers come to Austin with a perfect 17-0 record following a sweep of Colorado on Saturday afternoon. In that match, Jordan Larson totaled 17 kills and 10 digs to lead three Huskers with at least 10 kills. Sarah Pavan and Tracy Stalls also added 12 kills, while the Huskers recorded 12 blocks and held Colorado to .129 hitting. NU, which features four freshmen or sophomores in the starting lineup, leads the nation in both kills per game (17.76) and assists per game (16.74) while leading the Big 12 with a .301 hitting percentage. Freshman setter Rachel Holloway was named Big 12 Player of the Week on Monday, averaging 16.00 assists in wins over No. 15 Missouri and Colorado last week.=========

NEBRASKA SOCCER CLOSES BIG 12 SEASON ON THE ROAD...

Sophomore Sari Raber and the Huskers cap off the Big 12 regular season this weekend.

The Nebraska soccer team (8-5-3, 3-4-1) winds up its Big 12 regular season this weekend as it travels to the Sooner state for a pair of contests against Oklahoma State (12-2-2, 7-1-1) and Oklahoma (6-9-1, 3-5-1). The Huskers meet up with the Big 12-leading Cowgirls in Stillwater at 7 p.m. on Friday, before heading south to take on the Sooners at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

After a disappointing weekend that saw the Huskers drop a pair of conference contests to Texas A&M and Texas, Nebraska is looking to get back to its winning ways this weekend. The Huskers are ranked fifth in the league and need a pair of wins this weekend to re-establish a winning record in conference play.

Against Texas A&M last Friday, Nebraska suffered just its second shutout of the season, notching a season-low four shots while allowing 21 from the Aggies. Despite a stellar defensive effort from the Nebraska defense and sophomore goalkeeper Jamie Klages that kept A&M out of the net through 63 minutes, the Huskers couldn't seem to get the offensive side of the field moving in the right direction.

Nebraska suffered a similar fate against Texas on Sunday at the Nebraska Soccer Field, tallying just nine shots after averaging 25 shots a game in its last four home contests. However, the Huskers did manage to get on the board off the first career goal for redshirt freshman Shannon Dickerson. NU earned a free kick early in the game that senior Brittany Timko sent toward the net and off the leg of Dickerson to put the Huskers up 1-0 for the first time in four games. But the lead wouldn't stand for long, as the Longhorns netted the game-tying goal before the half was out and tallied the game-winner in the second period.

The Huskers face another tough test at Oklahoma State Friday, as the Cowgirls have emerged as a contender in league play. After finishing ninth in the Big 12 and failing to qualify for the NCAA Tournament last season, OSU has produced an impressive turnaround in 2006. Not only do the Cowgirls lead the Big 12, but they are ranked 10th nationally with a trip to postseason action all but guaranteed.

OSU's in-state rival, Oklahoma, has not experienced quite the success of its northern neighbor. Despite a four-game unbeaten streak that was snapped by Baylor this past Sunday, the Sooners are still below .500 in the conference and on the season.

=========HUSKER GOLF TEAM SNAGS SECOND TOP-FIVE SPOT OF FALL SEASON...

Senior Ty Capps led the Huskers to a fifth-place tie at the Squire Creek Intercollegiate with a 70.

Ruston, La. - The Nebraska men’s golf team snagged a tie for fifth place in a field of 18 through 18 holes of play after being rained out on the first scheduled day of competition at the Louisiana Tech/Squire Creek Classic at the par-72, 7,105-yard Squire Creek Country Club in Ruston, La.

The Huskers shot a team total of 292 to leave them in a tie with South Alabama and Western Kentucky.

Senior Ty Capps led the team with a 70, placing him in a tie for sixth place. Senior Ryan Lenahan was next for the Huskers with a 73, leaving him in a tie for 25th, while Brady Schnell shot a 74 to place in a tie for 34th.

Sophomore Trent Price finished with a 75 to place in a tie for 45th and round out the Husker scoring lineup, while Drew Reynolds rounded out the Husker squad with a 76 and a tie for 56th.

As a team, the Huskers were third in the tournament in both pars with 60 and in par-five scoring at four-under par. The Huskers additionally ranked fourth in par-four scoring at just three-over par.

Sam Houston State shot a team total of 281 to win the tournament, while Southeastern La. and Tenn.-Chattanooga tied for second with a team total of 286. Mississippi shot a team-total 287 to snag the fourth-place spot and round out the top five.

The Huskers will take a break this weekend before wrapping up their fall season with the Herb Wimberly Intercollegiate Oct. 30-31 in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Friday, October 13, 2006

Hey Bay Area Husker Fans,Another tough win against the Cyclones, but the Huskers showed they could play all four quarters (not all as well as some) on both sides of the ball. With a win this weekend at Kansas State, the Huskers will be lining up to play for the Big 12 North title against Mizzou at the Homecoming game on November 4th. Not to say that they won't also be focused on Texas and Oklahoma State in the coming weeks, but Mizzou is their last northern division rival for bragging rights to the title (Colorado is officially out of the running even though we play them at Thanksgiving). Of course if we win the Mizzou game we get to play Texas twice this season ;o(

Our #1 Volleyball team keeps rolling along in their efforts for another Big XII and National Championship. And not to be outdone, the Soccer and Softball Teams are doing well this fall too. See the articles below for more info on their recent successes. A little more Husker Humor at the end of the email for your entertainment. Lots of other stuff to read, so enjoy and...

Go Big Red (White and Blue),

Carl-----------Watch Sites for the PPV game this Saturday...

Good news for San Francisco residents. Steve talked with Arnie and Final-Final will pay for the PPV feed this Saturday, so it looks like three out of four of our watch sites (assuming Knuckles in Monterey won't pick up the $400 tab) will have the game on for our fans. If you are a Final-Final regular and don't get Steve's emails let me know and I'll get you connected.

So if you want to see the K-State game Saturday, come on out to Final-Final, Jack's Brewing or Legends to join other Red Clad Husker fans to watch the game. See our website for details and maps: http://www.bayareahuskers.org/ Kickoff is at 4 p.m. Pacific, so come early, get a good seat and order up some good pub grub at half time! We will be passing the hat to help defray the $400 cost of bringing the PPV game to our group, so dig into your wallets and help out. We figure it would cost you $30 to watch at home so $10 per person isn't asking much and anything collected above the tab will go to our scholarship fund. And as Steve passed along to his Final-Final crowd: Larry the cable guy says, "Get'er done"!

=======

BIG RED REVIEW: HUSKERS SILENCE CYCLONES...

Zac Taylor and Maurice Purify celebrate after their 27-yard touchdown pass to end the first half.

Ames, Iowa - Cody Glenn and Brandon Jackson each rushed for more than 100 yards and combined for three touchdowns to carry the No. 22 Nebraska football team to its first road win of the season in a 28-14 victory over Iowa State at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames on Saturday night.

Playing in front of an ABC regional television audience in prime time and a packed house that included tens of thousands of Husker fans in Ames, Nebraska improved to 5-1 overall and 2-0 in the Big 12, while Iowa State slipped to 3-3 on the season and 0-2 in the league.

"It was a great win for our team on the road," Nebraska Coach Bill Callahan said. "I told our players that I was awfully proud of the way they responded on the road in all three areas. I really liked our focus during our week of practice. Our players rose to the occasion in a hostile environment."

Along with another impressive performance by Nebraska's ground game, the Blackshirt defense flexed its muscles to frustrate Iowa State's potent attack throughout the night.

"I was proud of the fact that we made plays and put pressure on (Bret) Meyer," Callahan said. "I was also proud that we did not give up a big run tonight. I thought we played well on the defensive side of the football."

The Huskers produced 251 rushing yards, including career highs of 148 yards and two scores from Glenn and 116 yards and another score from Jackson, who gave NU its second double-100-yard rushing performance in the last three games.

Marlon Lucky and Kenny Wilson each went over 100 yards against Troy two weeks ago, giving the Huskers four different 100-yard running backs in the past three weeks and five total 100-yard rushing performances on the season.

"Two backs over 100 yards is huge," Callahan said. "Our offensive line deserves a lot of credit for that, they did a great job all night long."

Quarterback Zac Taylor completed 17-of-21 passes for 131 yards and a key touchdown pass to Maurice Purify to close the first half. Purify closed the night with two catches for a team-high 35 yards and his first career score. Taylor completed passes to nine different Husker receivers, as he became just the fourth quarterback in NU history to cross the 4,000-yard career passing mark.

Lucky led the Huskers with three catches for 28 yard, while Todd Peterson, Terrence Nunn, J.B. Phillips, Matt Herian and Frantz Hardy each joined Purify with two receptions on the night.While Nebraska's West Coast Offense rolled up 382 yards and dominated the time of possession by holding the ball for nearly 37 minutes on the night, the Blackshirts surrendered just one touchdown on a short field in the first 59:54, before giving up an insignificant touchdown in prevent defense with six seconds left in the game.

The Blackshirts limited ISU to just 53 rushing yards in a magnificent performance. Junior linebacker Bo Ruud led the defense with a team-high nine tackles, while defensive tackle Barry Cryer wreaked havoc up front with four tackles, including a nine-yard sack and a pass deflection on the night.

In the secondary, Cortney Grixby nabbed his first career interception, while Andre Jones posted a team-high seven unassisted tackles.=======

K-STATE GAME TO BE TELEVISED ON PAY-PER-VIEW...

Lincoln - The Nebraska-Kansas State college football game on Saturday, Oct. 14 will be telecast via Fox Sports Network pay-per-view on participating cable systems and nationwide to satellite dish customers. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:00 PM PDT from Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan.

Suggested retail price for residential purchase is $29.95 for home viewers and $400 for sports bars.

The game is being televised on pay-per-view because it was not selected for over-the-air broadcast or cable television coverage. Under Conference TV rules, games not picked up for regular television distribution can only be televised live on pay-per-view if during a Conference TV window. Big 12 games scheduled for television on Oct. 14 are: Iowa State at Oklahoma (9:30 AM on FSN), Missouri at Texas A&M (12:30 PM on ABC) and Baylor at Texas (4:00 PM on TBS) (all times Pacific).

Participating cable and satellite providers will offer the telecast to their customers on a specially designated pay-per-view channel. The telecast will not pre-empt FSN’s regularly scheduled programming.

=======TEXAS GAME TO BE BROADCAST ON ABC SPORTS...(early morning kickoff for west coast)...The matchup with Texas on Saturday October 21st has been chosen for telecast by ABC Sports with game time set for 9 a.m. (Pacific). The Husker-Texas game will be televised to more than 80 percent of the nation.

=======HUSKERS CONTINUE PREPARATIONS FOR K-STATE...Lincoln—The Nebraska football team continued to prepare for Saturday night’s 4 p.m. (PDT) matchup against Kansas State with a two-hour workout in shorts and shoulder pads Wednesday afternoon inside the Hawks Championship Center.

The Huskers will play their fifth straight night game on Saturday, and, according to Head Coach Bill Callahan, NU has settled into a good game-night routine.

“We’re in a good frame of mind,” Callahan said. “We’re in a good routine because we’ve been doing this the last four weeks. I can’t speak for every guy in the room, but as a team, I know that we’re fine with it. Nebraska fans have an opportunity to see the game, and I think that’s great. Our kids have really adapted to it. We’re in a really good routine and we’re really confident in what we do and how we prepare.”

Callahan, who reviewed the film of Nebraska’s 28-14 win over Iowa State Wednesday before practice, noted the continued development of cornerback Rickey Thenarse. The freshman from Los Angeles, Calif., broke up a pass against Iowa State and has six tackles on the season.

“He has the body type that you want in a corner,” Callahan said. “He’s lean, he has good size and length and he has excellent speed. I think that he’ll get better with time. You have to take your hat off to the guy. He just wants to play, whether it’s at safety, corner or on special teams. He’s a football player. He takes his role seriously and whatever he can do to help us, he’s all aboard.”

On the injury front, senior offensive lineman Greg Austin dressed for practice and participated in individual drills before being held out by the Nebraska training staff.

“He tried to go today,” Callahan said. “He put the pads on and went out for individual drills, but (Head Football Trainer) Doak (Ostergard) backed him down. He needs another day. We’ll see what he looks like tomorrow.”

Austin’s continued perseverance through injury is an inspiration to Callahan.

“I keep mentioning the fact that he’s a player that inspires me on a daily basis because, for anyone to go through what he does is unbelievable,” Callahan said. “I don’t know how he does it. But he has such a passion for the game of football, he wants to be out there with his teammates and he wants to do everything for Nebraska. He wants to play. Playing is important to him. He’ll do anything to do that. If it means sacrificing and going through some painful practices and going through injury and things of that nature, he’ll do it. He’s willing to do it, so I have a lot of respect for his ability to play the game under the conditions that he’s in.”

If Austin isn’t ready to go by Saturday, Nebraska will look to either sophomore Andy Christensen or redshirt freshman Jacob Hickman to fill in at left guard.

“Both guys are ready,” Callahan said. “I know that (offensive line coach) Dennis (Wagner) has worked both of those players. They’re really good players. We’ve shuffled them along the board and across the front through pre-season and during the season, so we’re confident in both those guys. Either one of those guys could fill that responsibility.”

The Huskers will wrap up their preparations in Lincoln for the Kansas State game on Thursday afternoon before departing for Manhattan on Friday.=======

HUSKERS IN THE NFL - WEEK 5...

Former Husker Blackshirt Scott Shanle recorded eight tackles, including five solo, in the Saint's 24-21 victory over Tampa Bay.

Demorrio Williams (Atlanta)—Williams and the Falcons enjoyed a bye week and will carry a 3-1 record into their next match against the New York Giants.

Sam Koch (Baltimore)—Sam Koch averaged 42.2 yards on six punts as the Ravens suffered their first loss of the season to Denver on Monday Night Football. The Seward, Neb., native had one 55 yarder and also pinned one inside the Bronco’s 20-yard line.

Cory Ross (Baltimore)—Ross was inactive during the Ravens’ 13-3 loss against Denver.

Chris Kelsay (Buffalo)—Kelsay made six tackles, including four solos, in the Bills 40-7 loss against Chicago.

Mike Minter (Carolina)—Minter recorded two solo tackles and two assisted tackles to contribute to the Panther’s 20-12 win over the Browns.

Mike Rucker (Carolina)—Rucker racked up six total tackles, including six solo, during Carolina’s 20-12 victory over Cleveland.

Mike Brown (Chicago)—Brown made three tackles, including one solo, during a dominating 40-7 victory over the Buffalo Bills. The former Blackshirt continues to lead a Bear’s defense that has only allowed two touchdowns through the first five weeks of the NFL season.

Kyle Larson (Cincinnati)—Larson and the Bengals enjoyed a bye week and will face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 6.

Ralph Brown (Cleveland)—Brown did not record a tackle in Cleveland’s 20-12 loss to the Carolina Panthers.

Daniel Bullocks (Detroit)—Bullocks racked up a career-high eight tackles for the second week in a row (five solo) in the Lion’s 26-17 loss to the Vikings. Bullock’s eight tackles ranked third on the team in week five for total tackles.

Dominic Raiola (Detroit)—Raiola made his 69th consecutive start at center for the Lions during a 26-17 loss to Minnesota. Railoa, a Rimington Award Winner in 2000, anchored a Detroit offensive line that allowed quarterback Jon Kitna to throw for 225 yards.

Cory Schlesinger (Detroit)—Schlesinger played in his 172nd career game at fullback for the Lions during a 26-17 loss to the Vikings.

Ahman Green (Green Bay)—Green continues to be sidelined with a hamstring injury as the Packers lost 23-20 to the Rams.

Kris Brown (Houston)—Brown and the Texas enjoyed a bye week and will face the Dallas Cowboys in Week 6.

Zach Wiegert (Houston)—Wiegert enjoyed a week off as Houston continued to prepare for Week-6 opponent Cowboys.

Will Shields (Kansas City)—Shield’s recorded his franchise-record 212th consecutive start at right guard for the Chiefs in Kansas City’s 23-20 edging of Carolina. Shield’s contributed in the blocking that led to a 26-38, 288-yard, two touchdown Damon Huard performance.

Russ Hochstein (New England)—Hochstein played in his fifth consecutive game for the Patriots this season during a 20-10 victory over Miami.

Le Kevin Smith (New England)—Smith did not play during the Patriots 20-10 victory over Miami.

Josh Bullocks (New Orleans)—Bullocks racked up a career-high ten tackles, all solo, during the Saint’s 24-21 victory over Tampa Bay.

DeJuan Groce (New Orleans)—Groce did not play during the Saints’ 24-21 victory over Tampa Bay. He has been unable to play this season while rehabbing an injured hamstring.

Scott Shanle (New Orleans)—Shanle rec,rded eight tackles, including five solo) to tie for third on the Saint’s defensive effort in week five as the Saint's rolled over Tampa Bay 24-21.

Adam Treu (Oakland)—Treu played in his 148th career game with Oakland during the Raiders’ 24-21 loss to Cleveland, serving as the squad’s long snapper.

Fabian Washington (Oakland)—Washington did not play in Oakland’s 34-20 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

Correll Buckhalter (Philadelphia)—Buckhalter snagged 33 yards on 11 carries and scored one touchdown in the Eagle’s 38-24 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

Ryon Bingham (San Diego)—Bingham did not record a tackle but was active in the Chargers’ 23-13 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Carlos Polk (San Diego)—Polk did not record a tackle but recorded his fourth game action this season in San Diego’s 23-13 win over the Steelers.

Josh Brown (Seattle)—Brown rested in Seattle’s bye week as the Seahawks prepare for the Week 6 game against the St. Louis Rams.

Grant Wistrom (Seattle)—Wistrom and the Seahawks took advantage of their bye week to continue preparations for the Week 6 matchup with the Rams.

Barrett Ruud (Tampa Bay)—Ruud had one tackle in Tampa Bay’s 24-21 loss to the New Orleans Saints.

Kyle Vanden Bosch (Tennessee)—Vanden Bosch snagged five tackles, all solo, in his fifth straight start for Tennessee in the 2006 season as the Titans fell to the Colts 14-13.

Pavan, who has averaged nearly six kills per game in her career against Texas A&M, totaled 17 kills on .394 hitting and four blocks to pace the Huskers to a .342 hitting performance, their best offensive total in nearly a month.

Larson joined Pavan in double figures in kills with 11 and added a match-high 15 digs, as she became the first Husker to record seven straight double-doubles since Jennifer Saleaumua in 2003. It was her team-best 11th double-double of the year.

Nebraska Coach John Cook said the Huskers’ experience was the key against a youthful Aggie team that started four freshmen on Saturday.

“I think our experience showed the court tonight,” Cook said. “Texas A&M played exceptionally well, but we hung in there and weathered the storm and made some big plays at the end of games. A lot of that has to do with experience and confidence as a team.

“We have been trying to be more balanced the last couple of weeks. Rachel and the middles were connecting well. They were making it look easy, which was fun to watch tonight.

The Huskers (15-0, 7-0 Big 12) also received strong performances from both middle blockers, as Tracy Stalls and Kori Cooper combined for 15 kills on just 25 swings. Cooper, returning to her home state, matched her career high with eight kills on .615 hitting and three blocks, while Stalls added seven kills on .583 hitting.

===

HUSKERS ALSO SWEEP NO. 15 MISSOURI, 3-0...

Columbia, Mo – Sarah Pavan had a match-high 16 kills on .467 hitting, as No. 1 Nebraska took a big step in the race for a Big 12 crown with a 30-25, 30-22, 31-29 sweep of No. 15 Missouri in front of a crowd of 6,105 at the Hearnes Center Wednesday night.

Pavan, the Big 12’s reigning player of the year, was dominant with 16 kills in 30 swings, while adding four blocks and eight digs, as the Huskers handed Missouri its first home loss of the season.

Pavan was one of several offensive stars for Nebraska (16-0, 8-0 Big 12), which hit .339 as a team and out-digged and out-blocked the Tigers (13-5, 7-2 Big 12).

Jordan Larson totaled 14 kills and 14 digs for her eighth straight double-double and team-best 12th of the year, while Dani Mancuso and Tracy Stalls both totaled nine kills in the win. Mancuso hit a season-best .400 on 20 swings, while Stalls led all players with eight stuffs, matching her season high

=======LARSON NAMED BIG 12 PLAYER OF THE WEEK...

Jordan Larson was named Big 12 Player of the Week on Monday.

Irving, Texas – University of Nebraska sophomore Jordan Larson earned the Big 12’s weekly honor on Monday, as she was chosen as the Big 12 Volleyball Player for the Week for Oct. 2-8.

Larson averaged 5.83 points, 5.17 kills on .382 hitting and 4.17 digs in two sweeps last week, as the No. 1 Huskers improved to 15-0 on the season and 7-0 in the conference. Larson picked up a pair of double-doubles, her 10th and 11th of the season, en route to collecting the second Big 12 weekly honor of her career.

Against Kansas State on Oct. 4, Larson totaled a career-high 20 kills on .400 hitting with 10 digs and a pair of blocks. At Texas A&M on Oct. 7, Larson finished with a match-high 15 digs and 11 kills in a sweep of the Aggies.

=======TIMKO NAMED BIG 12 OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK AND NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK...

Senior Brittany Timko earned her second Big 12 Player of the Week honor this week.

Senior forward Brittany Timko was named the Big 12 Conference offensive player of the week for the second time this season after leading the Huskers to a pair of come-from-behind wins in league play last weekend. The 5-7 Coquitlam, British Columbia, native was also recognized as the Top Drawer Soccer National Player of the Week on Monday.

The honor follows an outstanding weekend for Timko that included three goals and one assist to lead the Huskers to league wins over Baylor and Texas Tech. Timko produced the game-tying goal in both matches, while tacking on the game-winning goal against the Red Raiders. Timko also notched an assist on the game-winning goal against Baylor.

Timko’s two goals against Texas Tech gave her 41 goals on her career in addition to her 41 career assists. She is only the second player in school history to record 40 goalsand 40 assists in a career. Timko joined Meghan Anderson (48 goals, 50 assists) as the only two players in Nebraska soccer history to hit the 40/40 mark. Timko and Anderson are also the only players in the 11-year history of the Big 12 Conference to join the 40/40 club, as well as being two of just 35 players in NCAA history to reach the marks.

Timko has a Big 12 Conference-leading 28 points behind 11 goals and six assists this season. The 5-7 forward leads the league in several statistical categories including points (28), points per game (2.15), goals (11) and goals per game (0.85), while ranking second in assists (6). Timko’s explosive weekend also catapulted her into the upper echelons of the national rankings where she now ranks fifth in points per game and seventh in goals per game.

Texas A&M goalkeeper Kristin Arnold was selected as the league's defensive player of the week, while Oklahoma's Audrey Habibi earned the newcomer award.

Timko and the Huskers split a pair of games on the road and at home this weekend. Nebraska travels to Texas A&M on Friday for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff before returning to Lincoln for a 1 p.m. start against Texas on Sunday. Sunday’s match with the Longhorns will feature a special Senior Day ceremony honoring Timko’s career as a Husker.

Timko Also Named National Player of the Week...Lincoln - Nebraska senior Brittany Timko was honored on Monday as the Top Drawer Soccer National Player of the Week. It is Timko’s second national honor of the year following her selection to the SoccerTimes.com Honor Roll in early September.

The award comes following an outstanding weekend for Timko that included three goals and one assist to lead the Huskers to league wins over Baylor and Texas Tech. Timko produced the game-tying goal in both matches, while tacking on the game-winning goal against the Red Raiders. Timko also notched an assist on the game-winning goal against Baylor.

Timko’s two goals against Texas Tech gave her 41 goals on her career in addition to her 41 career assists. She is only the second player in school history to record 40 goals and 40 assists in a career. Timko joined Meghan Anderson (48 goals, 50 assists) as the only two players in Nebraska soccer history to hit the 40/40 mark. Timko and Anderson are also the only players in the 11-year history of the Big 12 Conference to join the 40/40 club, as well as being two of just 35 players in NCAA history to reach the marks.

Timko has a Big 12 Conference-leading 28 points behind 11 goals and six assists this season.

=======HUSKER SOFTBALL FINISHES 4-0 AT BIG RED FALL CLASSIC...

Ashley DeBuhr tossed a shutout against Creighton and went 2-for-3 offensively on the final day of the Big Red Fall Classic.

Lincoln – Pitching was the name of the game as the Nebraska softball team shutout Kansas, 3-0, and Creighton, 1-0, on Sunday to finish with a perfect 4-0 record at the Big Red Fall Classic at Bowlin Stadium.

Freshman Alex Hupp stole the show in game one, hitting and pitching the Huskers to a victory over her home state school of Kansas. Against the Jayhawks, Hupp, a native of Olathe, fired a two-hit shutout in the circle while going 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored at the plate.

Game two not only pitted the Huskers against their lone in-state rival, the Creighton Bluejays, but the starting pitching matchup featured a pair of Beatrice, Neb., natives in NU senior Ashley DeBuhr and CU freshman Tara Oltman.

DeBuhr outdueled Oltman, finishing with a two-hit shutout of her own in the 1-0 win. DeBuhr surrendered only a pair of singles and did not walk a batter. She also posted nine strikeouts, which helped her work around three Nebraska errors.

DeBuhr also recorded one of the Huskers’ four hits in the game, as Oltman tossed a complete game four-hitter and did not allow an earned run. Sophomore Meghan Mullin scored the game’s lone run off a throwing error by Creighton third baseman Renae Sinkler.

On the day, DeBuhr finished 2-for-3 at the plate, while Mullin, Hupp and freshman Crystal Gonzalez also finished with two hits in the two contests.

Nebraska (6-2) wraps up its fall season next weekend, when the Huskers travel to South Bend, Ind., for the Worth Fall Classic, hosted by the University of Notre Dame.

The Nebraska swimming and diving team will endure one of the most notable stretches in its program’s history this week as the Huskers host three meets in three days at the Devaney Center Natatorium, beginning with a dual meet against defending Big 12 Champion Texas on Thursday at 6 p.m.

The matchup will mark the first time Nebraska and Texas have squared off in the pool since 2002, and will come on the eve of the Huskers’ hosting the Big 12 Relays on Friday at 8:30 a.m., before capping the week with a dual meet against Texas A&M on Saturday at 9 a.m.

Nebraska is 1-0 this season after a 156-87 win at Missouri State last Friday, and is one of only two teams in this week’s field that has had a regular season meet thus far. The win over the Bears marked the earliest starting point for the Husker swimming and diving team in school history.

Another first will be achieved this week as it will the first time men’s swimming has taken place at the Devaney Center Natatorium since the 2003 Big 12 Relays in Lincoln. Missouri, Texas A&M and Texas will compete for the men’s Big 12 Relay title on Friday, and the Aggie and Tiger men will meet again on Saturday morning in a dual meet, along with the Texas A&M, Missouri and Nebraska women. The Huskers and Tigers will not be scored head-to-head on Saturday due to their dual meet later this season.